A Special operations typical has been billed with sexual assault for the to start with time in armed forces background, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
Significant General James Roddis — a adorned war hero — is owing in advance of a military court this month to enter a plea.
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The married father of a few, 52, is imagined to be the most senior officer to encounter a court docket martial for an alleged intercourse criminal offense.
He is only the second Main Basic to face navy trial in more than 200 yrs.
He was charged under Portion 3 of the Sexual Offences Act, which covers sexual assault by touching.
Yesterday, the Army revealed that Maj Gen Roddis was no for a longer period serving — but did not explain why.
They reported the trial would however acquire area at Bulford Navy Courts in Wiltshire.
An Army spokesman additional: “Ex-Main Common James Roddis will show up at Bulford Navy Court docket Centre on 17 July 2024 billed with sexual assault opposite to Segment 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.”
The spokesman went on: “We expect extremely superior requirements of behaviour from all our staff and get any allegations of misconduct particularly seriously.”
Until eventually lately, Maj Gen Roddis, who was born in Aberdour, Fife, Scotland, was director of system at Strategic Command, which oversees SAS missions and offensive cyber warfare.
Right before that, he launched the Army’s Specialised Infantry Brigade — now named the Exclusive Operations Brigade — and led it from 2017 to 2022.
Around the training course of his 30-calendar year profession, he received a Distinguished Provider Purchase (DSO) for commanding 4 Scots, the Highlanders regiment, in Afghanistan in 2014.
He was manufactured an MBE in 2009 and received two Queen’s Commendations for Precious Company — a person in 2008 and the second in 2017.
He was outlined in dispatches for battle in Iraq in 2004.
He also put in extra than a ten years in “specialist military” missions which took him to 20 nations around the world, in accordance to his CV.
These provided 4 overcome tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, in which he led teams of up to 120 soldiers.
Maj Gen Roddis, the eldest son of a Royal Navy officer, was also built deputy colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, in an honorary part alongside King Charles.
The final time a Big Normal faced court docket martial was in 2021, when Maj Gen Nick Welch was convicted of school costs fraud.
He was sentenced to 21 months in jail.
Welch was the 1st Key Common to confront court martial because 1815 when Lieutenant Standard Sir John Murray was convicted of abandoning his siege guns without thanks induce in the Napoleonic Wars.
His conviction came weeks immediately after Major Standard Chris Bell was purchased to resign for lying to his bosses about a connection with a reservist in the secretive 77th Brigade, a psychological warfare unit.
Maj Gen Bell’s disciplinary scenario was dealt with by the Military board and never ever went to court docket martial.
The Sunshine on Sunday approached Maj Gen Roddis for remark.
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